Page 99 - Virtual Benedetti Sessions Coverage Book

the arts desk

29 May 2020

Classical music/Opera direct to home 13 - piano

marathons and string masterclasses

Igor Levit meditates on Satie for 20 hours, while Nicola Benedetti educates with joy
by David Nice

Nicola Benedetti: an inspiration in music educationAlister Firth

In an atmosphere of uncertainty created by a government desperate to boost the economy despite the
COVID-19 infection rate not reducing significantly, some UK venues and organisations are moving
responsibly towards some kind of new normality. The Wigmore Hall has lunchtime concerts every weekday
from 1 June, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and livestreamed on the hall's website. The BBC Proms has
announced live concerts for the last two weeks of "the biggest music festival in the world", with plenty online
before that. Meanwhile, it's time to focus again on some great instrumentalists.

Virtual Benedetti Sessions Grand

Finale Having already put into action the tenets of her Foundation, inspirational violinist Nicola
Benedetti (pictured above pre-Lockdown by Alister Firth) has been applying all her phenomenal energy and
creativity to three weeks of online tutorials and workshops. Over 7000 participants have readied themselves for
a weekend of vibrant activity, culminating in a celebration concert on Sunday at 16 00 BST. Says Benedetti:
"even though I don’t know many of the people who have participated, I am deeply proud of each and every
person and I hope that everyone has enjoyed the experience, learnt a great deal, and now feels inspired to
continue with their musical journey whatever stage they might be at." All playlists and sessions remain to be
viewed on YouTube.

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